You can have it all

BY Amanda Smith

Someone once told me this…and it’s stuck with me. I always remind myself of this, in moments of compromise.

I remember when I was in my late teens. I thought 25 was old. ‘I’ll have family, kids, and a house by then.’ To be honest, I don’t know if I really wanted them. I just thought I did.

Well, that was before I travelled. On my first flight, my whole life changed. My perspectives evolved, slowly but surely, one flight at a time.

Travelling has made me extremely self-aware. When you’re sitting on the side of a mountain, feet dangling off the edge, it’s hard not to become your own best friend. You explore your past, your expectations for the future, what makes you happy, and why you do the things you do. God, you become strong.

So, back to ‘having it all’. We’re supposed to follow this linear path in life – go to University, get a job, fall in love, buy a house, and have kids. That’s the cycle of life, right?

But life doesn’t always work that way. What about the career confusion, the heartbreak, and the self-exploration? There’s more than one way to live. And even if we do want these things, who said we have to do it in this order.

You can design your life.

Become the designer of your own life. You can have it all, just not all at once. Choose what you want, in this moment, and what you need to wait for.

Just like happiness is different for all of us, it changes as we journey through this life. What we want now won’t necessarily be what we want in five years’ time. It’s important to be present, but still observant of the steps you need to take to achieve that future happiness.

I knew I wanted to be a travelling writer, back in my late teens. So, I made a choice. I dedicated the first half of my twenties to building the foundation – putting myself through university, working for a company, and learning as much as humanly possible. I made sacrifices.

Fast-forward to now. I’m living MY dream – working and travelling the world, full time. This is my happiness and I’ve created it. But I have to compromise other things in my life. I don’t see my best friends much. I miss watching my two nephews grow up. I don’t own a house or have a partner. But that’s okay. That will all come later.

Respect the stage of your life you’re in. Our generation naturally wants it all at once. We’ve grown up with instant gratification. We’re ‘taught’ that faster is better. But life isn’t a race to the finish line. We all end up in the same place. Enjoy the journey and go at your own pace.

Do you know what you want? Go chase it. Be fearless in your pursuit. And if not, that’s ok. It’s time to spend some time getting to know yourself.